Let's make our home feel a little cooler
Summer days, midsummer days, extremely hot days, and scorching days
It doesn't really matter what we call them anymore, but let's think about how we can ease the heat!
Let's think about how we can ease the heat!
Let's beat the heat - Quick and easy edition
Blackout curtains
By using blackout-type curtains, you can prevent sunlight from entering.
It is recommended to install them on windows facing south or west, where strong sunlight enters.
Even with blinds or roll screens, choosing ones with high light-blocking properties is effective.
Reed screens (Yoshizu)
I have started to see many homes with reed screens installed outside their windows, but since I also often see deteriorated reed screens left up for years, please replace them periodically.
Also,
when installing them, make sure to secure them properly and take thorough measures against strong winds!
Furthermore, while many homes leave modern versions of reed shades installed all year round, not only do deteriorated shades look unsightly, but they can also cause deterioration or damage to the areas where they are fixed, so I recommend installing them only for the necessary period and putting them away once that period has passed.
Sprinkling water (Uchimizu)
To alleviate tropical nights even a little, sprinkle water around your house to help reduce the discomfort of trying to sleep.
In particular, for households where the ground is completely covered with artificial materials, sprinkle water to cool down the heat as much as possible to prevent the stored heat from being released at night.
Also, if you are concerned about your water bill, installing a rainwater storage tank is economical as you can collect rainwater and use it for sprinkling water.
Let's beat the heat - Time-consuming edition
Green curtains
By growing bitter melon, luffa, or cucumbers in front of your windows to act like curtains, you can expect both shade and the transpiration effect of the plants.
Moreover, you will naturally end up sprinkling water to grow the plants.
Also, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind and the movement of shadows provide a sense of coolness, and you can even get nutrition from the harvested fruit, so it's a win-win situation.
Shade trees
It is said that the perceived temperature can change by several degrees depending on whether or not there are trees that provide shade to block the sun's rays from pouring into the house.
Even in the same area, parks with lush trees are a little cooler, aren't they?
Modern houses are almost completely exposed, allowing the sun's rays to pour down directly.
Due to housing conditions, it is difficult to plant trees tall enough to cover the house, but even having trees that provide some shade can change both the mood and the perceived temperature to some extent.
Of course, you can also expect the effects of transpiration.
Air conditioning
It has become difficult to live in Japan without air conditioning.
Old air conditioners have poor fuel efficiency, blow out weaker cold air, and also blow out dirty air, so we recommend replacing them every 10 years as a guideline.
Alternatively, please have your air conditioner professionally cleaned on a regular basis.
If you do that, it will improve somewhat, so you might be able to use it for a long time.
Note that air conditioners have a recommended room size, but for large rooms such as an LDK, if you feel a little dissatisfied with the power, it is also recommended to install one with a slightly larger capacity.
Let's beat the heat - Full-scale measures edition -
Window insulation
More and more households are installing interior windows, but for those who have never experienced them, their effectiveness remains unknown and their information may never be updated.
Since there are extremely few facilities where you can experience them, the current situation is that you have no choice but to experience them at the homes of friends who have installed them.
Even so, we have received many comments from those who have installed them saying that they have felt a dramatic effect.
If your current home has single-pane glass windows, the sunlight is coming in almost directly through the windows, so you can expect a dramatic change from window insulation renovations such as interior windows.
Heat-shielding paint
You probably know that there are different types of paint, but did you know that there are differences in heat-shielding performance depending on the paint?
In the case of paint, generally, lighter colors reflect light and therefore have higher light-shielding properties, so painting the roof in a lighter color can be expected to mitigate the heat absorbed by the roof.
The recent increase in cases of painting roofs in bright colors in factories and warehouses is also thought to be due to an awareness of heat-shielding properties.
Attic insulation
Since cold comes from under the floor and heat is largely influenced by windows and the roof, insulating the roof (attic) is effective for heat countermeasures.
It is not uncommon for older homes to lack insulation in the roof or attic, so the attic is often filled with warm air heated by summer sunlight.
Because of this, the rooms on the upper floor stay hot for a long time, so blocking the heat transmitted from the roof is effective above all else.
Let's start with what we can do!